Tethered toy airplane control



Nov. 10, 1953 L. HAYES 2,658,305

TETHERED TOY AIRPLANE CONTROL Filed May 2, 1950 Ze km,

Eatentecl Nov. 1 0, 1951;

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in toy airplane control, andparticularly to a device for controlling power propelled toy airplanesin flight, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide anarrangement and construction of a toy airplane control adapted tocontrol effectively the flight of toy airplanes in windy weather;second, to afford facilities for the safeguarding of toy airplanes inflight by allowing automatically for adjustments to counteract dangerouswind pressure differentials; third, to provide efiective means tocontrol the tension of control lines between toy airplanes in flight andplane operators on the ground, and to prevent breaking of the controllines as well as damage to the toy airplane due to slack or excessivetension of the control lines; and fourth, to provide a simple andinexpensive control for toy airplanes in flight which may be adjustedfor use on any power propelled toy airplane having two or more controllines extending from the plane operator on the ground to the toyairplane in the air.

Additional objects, together with further advantages derived inutilizing the present invention, will become apparent from the followingdetailed description thereof taken together with the accompanyingdrawing forming part of the specification, in which- Figure 1 is a viewin the perspective showing my control attached to a toy airplane;

Figure 2 is a plan view of my invention, attached to the tip of a toyairplane wing;

Figure 3 is a front elevational view of my invention attached to the tipof a toy airplane wing;

Figure 4 is a view in the perspective showing a modified form of mycontrol attached to the tip of a toy airplane wing;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the control, shown in Fig. 4 in position tocounteract a slack in the flight control lines between an operator andthe toy airplane;

Figure 6 is a view in the perspective of a modified form of my controladjusted for use in windy weather;

Figure 7 is a view in the perspective of the control shown in Fig. 6adjusted for use in windless weather.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views.

The toy airplane control illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3 comprises abase I0, rigidly afiixed to the Wing tip of a toy airplane, an airdeflecting shield ll, pivotally attached to said base I0, spring meansI2 connecting the rear edge [3 of similar parts the air deflectingshield II, to the rear edge M of the base Ill, and a guide line I5,extending from the front edge 5 of the air deflecting shield l I, to thetoy plane control lines, ll and I8 respectively, by means of a cross tieline IS.

The base In, comprising a substantially rectangular plate 2|, is rigidlyfastened to the underside of the wing tip 22 of a toy airplane by meansof a number of bolts 23, and a bolt plate 24, so as to extend partiallybeyond the wing tip 22 of the airplane. The free end of the base [9, isslotted horizontally, and the horizontal slot 25 carries the airdeflecting shield H by means of a tongue 26, rigidly affixed to saidshield, and pivotally attached to the base by means of pivot bolt 28which extends through the base It and the tongue 26 at the approximatecenter of the horizontal slot 25.

A number of openings 21 is provided along the rear edge 14 of the baseIn.

The air deflecting shield H comprises an approximately oval-shaped bodyportion 29, having a slightly convex-shaped outer surface 3| and a flatinner surface 32. The front part 33 of the oval-shaped body portion 29is flattened and the rear part 34 of the oval-shaped body portion 29 ispointed.

The oval-shaped body portion 29 is pivotally attached in a substantiallyvertical position to the base I0, by means of a fiat strip 35, rigidlyaiiixed longitudinally to the inner surface 32 of the oval-shaped bodyportion 29, and extending horizontally therefrom. The tongue 26 extendshorizontally from the center of the fiat strip 35, forming an integralpart thereof, and is pivotally attached to the base I0, as describedabove.

The free end of the base In is slightly curved so as to permit the airdeflecting shield l I a rotating motion limited by the corners 31 and 38respectively, of the free end 36 of the base I0.

A number of openings 39 are provided on the fiat strip 35 between thefront part 33 of the ovalshaped body portion 29 and the tongue 26. Anumber of openings 41 are also provided on the flat strip 35, betweenthe tongue 23 and the rear part 34 of the oval-shaped body portion 29.

Spring means l2 are connected between one of the openings 4| to the rearof the tongue 26 and one of the openings 21 located along the rearedge-I4 of the base Ill.

The guide line I5 is connected between one of the openings 39 on thefront part of the flat strip 35 and the cross tie line t9, hereinabovereferred to.

In operation, the operator may start the engine of the toy airplane. Asthe engine gains speed, the plane will lift oif the ground and fly in acircular path, if the operator remains stationary, by holding theairplane control lines taut.

In the normal, or rest, position, the spring means I2 will pull the rearportion of the air deflecting shield Ii toward the plane, and in flightthe air deflecting shield 'will act as an auxiliary rudder and pull theplane away from the operator, until the control lines are taut. At thatpoint, the taut guide line l will counteract the action of the springi2, and the air deflecting shield will move to an approximately parallelposition to the fuselage, and remain in that position as long as allcontrol lines remain taut.

If through a gust of wind or forsome other reason the tension of theguide line 15 slacke'n's, the action of the spring [2 will cause the airdeflecting shield to move outwardly directing thereby the airplaneoutwardly and away from the operator automatically, and increasingthereby the tension in the guide line and control lines, until normaltension is re-established.

If through a gust of wind or for other reason,

the airplane is forced in a direction away from the operator, the frontend of the air deflecting shield will point inwardly. towards theoperator, by reason of the action of the guide line [5, and the airdeflecting shield will cause the airplane to return to its normal flyingradius and will tend to decrease the tension in the guide lines andcontrol lines.

Depending upon the respective openings used, the range of control andtension required to move the air deflecting shield can be adjusted forconditions of high wind velocities or for windless days respectively.

Once the airplane is in the air, the stabilizing action of the airdeflecting shield will be automatic and safeguard the airplane which inmany instances represents a considerable investment to the owner and,without the use of my invention, could be flown for safetys sake onwindless or near windless days only. Without the use of my invention, agust of wind might drive the plane toward the operator causing the linesto slacken and result in the loss of the uncontrolled plane.

The invention illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 represents a modification ofthe air deflecting shield and uses a tubular-shaped body portion 43. Allother parts in these figures are identical with those used in theconstruction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and thus this modificationincreases the range of possible adjustments. I

The invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 uses a pair of flat plates 44and 45 respectively, of a proximately rectangular shape, having slots 46and 4'! respectively, near one of the short edges 48, 49, 50 and 52respectively.

A rectangular shaped back plate 53 is attached at a right angle to aflat strip 54 which is identical in construction with that used in theother embodiments of my invention. Screw holes near the ends of therectangular shaped back plate 53 are so arranged as to permit screws 51and 58 respectively, to pass through the slots in the respective platesand to cause the plates to be fastened in relatively fixed positionto'each other permitting thereby the adjustment of the surface exposedto the wind from a minimum area, as shown in Fig. 6, to a maximum area,as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawing.

The device illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 may be pivotally attached to thebase I0, by the same means used in the other embodiments oi! myinvention illustrated in the drawing, and the operation of the device isthe same, as described above for the other embodiments of my invention.

While speciflc forms of my invention have been described, it isunderstood that the same may be modified without departing from thespirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described for controlling the flight of apower propelled captive type U-control tethered toy airplane including asingle base rigidly aflixed to one wing tip of the airplane, one airdeflecting member mounted pivotally in a vertical plane on only one wingand outside of the wing tip of the airplane on the base, spring meansconnecting the air deflecting member to the base on one side of thepoint of pivotal mounting of said air deflecting member, and a singleguide line attached 'to the air 'deflecting member on the opposite sideof the point of pivotal mounting of said air deflecting member andextending from it to an operating point outside of the airplane.

2. Apparatus of the character described for controlling the flight of apower propelled captive ,type U-control tethered toy airplane having"wings and a movable control element including:

,one single air deflecting member mounted piv- ;otally in a verticalplane on one wing only, spring means connected between the wing and theair deflecting member on one side of the point of pivotal mounting ofsaid air deflecting member, and a single guide line connected to the airdeflecting member on the opposite side of the point of pivotal mountingof said air deflecting member and extending from it to an operatingpoint outside of the airplane.

3. Apparatus of the character described for controlling the flight of apower propelled captive type toy airplane having wings and a movablecontrol element including: a base rigidly aflixed to one wing; an airdeflecting member mounted pivotally in substantially horizontal positionon the base, said air deflecting member comprising a shield having anoval-shaped body portion with a convex-shaped outer surface and a flatinner surface; spring means connecting the air deflect ing member to thebase on one side of the point of pivotal mounting of said air deflectingmember; and a single guide line attached to the air deflecting member onthe opposite side of the point of pivotal mounting of said airdeflecting member and extending from it to an operating point.

4. Apparatus of the character described ior controlling the flight of apower propelled captive type toy airplane having wings and a movablecontrol element including: a base rigidly aflixed to one wing; an airdeflecting member mounted pivotally in substantially horizontal positionon the base, said air deflecting member comprising a tubular-shaped bodyportion, and a tongue rigidly aifixed to the outside surface of thetubular-shaped body portion and pivotally connected to the base; springmeans connecting the air deflecting member to the base on one side ofthe point of pivotal mounting of said air deflecting member; and asingle guide line attached to the air deflecting member on 'theoppositeside of the point of pivotal mounting'of said air deflecting member andextending from it to an operating point.

5. 'Apparatus oi the character described for controlling the flight of apower propelled captive type U-control tethered toy airplane havingwings and a movable control element including: a base rigidly affixed toone Wing only; an air defleeting member mounted pivotally in a verticalplane on the base, said air deflecting member comprising a bracket, apair of flat plates in fixed relation to each other and to the bracket,and means to adjust slidably the relative position of the plates to eachother and to the bracket whereby the size of the air deflecting surfacecan be varied; spring means connecting the air deflecting member to thebase on one side of the point of pivotal mounting of said air deflectingmemher; and a single guide line attached to the air deflecting member onthe opposite side of the point of pivotal mounting of said airdeflecting member and extending from it to an operating point.

6. Apparatus of the character described for controlling the flight of apower propelled captive type U-control tethered toy airplane havingwings and a movable control element including: one single air deflectingmember mounted pivotally in a vertical plane on one wing only, springmeans connected between the wing and the air deflecting member on oneside of the point of pivotal mounting of said air deflecting member, asingle guide line connected to the air deflecting member on the oppositeside of the point of pivotal mounting of the air deflecting member andextending from it to an operating point outside of the airplane, andmeans adapted to adjust the tension of the spring means relative to hetension of the single guide line.

LUTHER HAYES.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 2,390,939 Huff Dec. 11, 1945 2,404,922 Padgett July 1946'2,454,598 Doyle Nov. 23, 1948 2,538,132 Taggert Jan. 16, 1951 2,570,316Burks Oct. 9, 1951

